SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
Geography may play a more important role than genetics in predicting how the response of the American pika to climate differs across space and time, suggests a paper published in Nature Climate Change. Understanding why variability in responses exists within a species, and how it affects that species’ adaptability to a changing climate, is important for … Read more
A single gene in sorghum controls bird feeding behavior by simultaneously regulating the production of bad-tasting molecules and attractive volatiles, according to a study publishing September 23 in the journal Molecular Plant. This gene, called Tannin1, controls the synthesis of bird-deterring astringent polyphenols called tannins, as well as bird-attracting fatty-acid-derived volatile organic compounds. The authors suggest … Read more
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. But a study of the way domestic cats respond to their caregivers suggests that their socio-cognitive abilities and the depth of their human attachments have been underestimated. The findings reported in the journal Current Biology on September 23 show that, much like children and dogs, pet cats form … Read more
The biodiversity buzz is alive and well in Fiji, but climate change, noxious weeds and multiple human activities are making possible extinction a counter buzzword. Just as Australian researchers are finding colourful new bee species, some of them are already showing signs of exposure to environmental changes. Flinders University PhD candidate James Dorey – whose … Read more
Victoria’s conservation reserves are failing to protect threatened species such as the Leadbeater’s possum and the Greater Glider with the best areas for survival instead allocated to logging, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) warns. The study, published in Austral Ecology, found Victoria’s current reserve system is inadequate for the protection of threatened … Read more
Researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) have shown how Australian wheat crops would cope if a destructive disease that’s yet to hit our shores ever made it into the country. Wheat blast poses a major threat to global wheat production. Professor Peter Solomon from the ANU Research School of Biology tested 20 Australian wheat … Read more
Wilderness areas, long known for intrinsic conservation value, are far more valuable for biodiversity than previously believed, and cut extinction risk in half for the species they host, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Wilderness areas – where human impact has been absent or minimal – are dwindling. The latest maps … Read more
Sea urchins have five teeth, each held by a separate jaw in a circular arrangement at the center of their spiked, spherical bodies. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Matter on September 18 have discovered how the teeth of the pink sea urchin are specially equipped to sharpen themselves. Rather than simply resisting wear, their teeth are … Read more
The Penguin Genome Consortium sequences all living penguin species genomes to understand the evolution of life on the ice Published today in the open-access journal GigaScience is an article that presents the first effort to capture the entirety of the genomic landscape of all living penguin species. The Penguin Genome Consortium – bringing together researchers from China, … Read more
We usually think of a species as being reproductively isolated – that is, not mating with other species in the wild. Occasionally, however, closely related species do interbreed. New research just published in The Auk: Ornithological Advances documents the existence of a previously undiscovered hybrid zone along the coast of northern California and southern Oregon, where two … Read more